Mankind's Fate
by PennyForYourThoughts024
Summary: Eren and Mikasa are dead, killed in the battle of Trost. Armin decides to take up Eren's goal of killing all the Titans. Together with Jean and the rest of the 104th, he joins the Survey Corps, determined to avenge his friend's death.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! So this is my first large scale fanfiction, and what better topic than the immensely popular Shingeki no Kyojin, or Attack on Titan. I love this series to death and it has recently become one of my favorite anime ever. And so natrually, I wanted to write a story about it :D. Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non profit fanfiction. Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama and Kodansha. Please support the official release.**

* * *

On that day, humanity remembered the humiliation of being trapped inside walls like birds in a cage.

And on that day, Eren Jaeger swore to exterminate that which trapped them.

 _'Huh? Why am I remembering that now?'_ , Armin thought as he stared at the ruins of Trost, soldiers rushing from rooftop to rooftop, trying to evacuate any remaining citizens as Titans roamed around, eating any person in sight. Most of the citizens had been evacuated thanks to the efforts of the elite squad, but the commander decided to do one final sweep just in case people were left behind. As it turned out, there were plenty, collectively at least 100 people.

"Oy, Armin, we should get going. They're calling all the trainees in. There's nothing more we can do."

Armin remained silent as Jean stood behind him, waiting for him to get up. Jean sighed and walked over, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I understand that this was hard for you, but we really have to move – this place is already overrun with Titans. There's no telling when – "

"Why are we so weak?"

Jean narrowed his eyes as Armin's voice, low and broken, interrupted him. He sighed and said, "We're not weak. We learnt how to fight and – "

"Jean, don't fuck around. How many Titans did you kill today?"

Jean remained silent, slightly surprised at Armin's venomous tone. He contemplated what Armin said as he continued, "Mikasa was right. This world is cruel. And maybe the only way to survive in a cruel world is to abandon one's humanity." Jean looked slightly surprised as Armin stood and turned towards the wall. "Let's go." Jean sighed and nodded, standing up as well. However, they barely adjusted their gear when they heard a loud thud behind them. They both turned to see the Titan that ate Eren staring at them. Jean's eyes widened with fear, but Armin stood up, drawing his blades slowly, a deadpan expression on his face. Jean noticed this and said, "Armin….what do you plan to do? Don't throw your life away like Mikasa and Eren did!" This seemed to strike a chord with Armin, as he turned to Jean and said in a cold voice, "Believe me – that's the last thing I'm going to do."

With that, he jumped off the roof, activating his maneuver gear and speeding towards the Titan.

Jean could only watch in shock and awe as Armin moved gracefully through the air, gathering speed and momentum until he reached his target. With a feral yell, he first sliced the Titan's eyes, taking out both of them at once. The Titan stumbled back, blinded. Armin landed on an adjacent roof for a brief moment before hooking on to its neck. He raised his blade, ready to strike. Zooming towards it, he sliced its nape so vehemently that blood coated his entire face. The Titan fell motionless to the ground as Armin landed gracefully on the rooftop in front of a very shocked Jean. He said coldly,

"I'm going to make Eren's dream a reality. I will slaughter all the Titans. I'm going to see the ocean. And I'm not going to let any of my comrades die."

He said it with such conviction that Jean had no doubt that he would go to any length to uphold his vow. He simply nodded in reply. Armin turned and said, "Let's go." The pair sped back to the Wall, leaving the hell they once called home behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys - chapter 2 is here! Enjoy :)**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non profit fanfiction. Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama and Kodansha. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Armin, are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive, Commander. I noticed it on the last expedition. The Titans attacked during these specific time stamps – roughly 10 to 15 minutes after leaving the wall, and then about halfway through our journey back. The rest, of course, is a variable - random isolated attacks that occur on the left and right sides of the formation. The only issue I can see here is whether we can afford to risk enough men to put this operation into practice."

Erwin sighed and sat back in his chair. "I won't deny that you've been a valuable asset, Armin, but this plan seems too risky to implement without proper proof. I think it would be wise to wait and see if such a phenomenon occurs again. In case it does, then we can consider it." Armin nodded. "Sir, if I may say one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"There's also the issue of the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan – they're the only two Titans we have encountered who have some degree of intelligence. Should they appear during one of our expeditions, we need to have adequate measures to ensure that we don't sustain heavy casualties."

"Me and my squad will take care of that, Arlert. Don't worry about them."

Armin turned to the Captain, who was staring out the window, calmly sipping a cup of tea. He said, "With all due respect, Captain Levi, these two are single handedly responsible for pushing mankind all the way back to Wall Sina. They are not something to be taken lightly." Levi looked at Armin, eyes narrowed. "My squad has a combined kill count of over 150, and that's without me in the picture. I'm sure we're more than capable of handling them." Armin said immediately, "I'm just saying - we need to prepare for all possibilities. Nobody can tell wha's going to happen out there, so we have to go in assuming the enemy is ruthless and prepared to do anything for their cause. I thought you of all people would know that, Levi." At these words, Levi stiffened and he looked away pointedly. Armin narrowed his eyes at his captain's stark change in behavior, but thought nothing of it as he asked for permission to be dismissed. Erwin waved him off, but even as Armin saluted and exited the room, he could feel his commander's piercing gaze, as if analyzing him to see what he would do next.

Outside the room, Jean leaned against a nearby pillar. When he saw Armin emerge, he cracked a half smile and said, "Meeting with Erwin went down well, then?" Armin nodded. "As well as it could have gone, I suppose. The plan I proposed won't be put into use for this expedition, but I think we might use it for the next one, if my hypothesis pans out." Armin sighed and looked out into the bright blue sky, watching birds fly through the air. Jean followed his gaze and said nothing. The wind blew gently, slightly ruffling their hair as they both thought about what tomorrow would bring.

The day before an expedition beyond the walls was always nerve wracking. Sure, Jean might have already gone on two previous expeditions, but the acknowledgement of the possibility that you might never make it back alive was something that always stuck with Jean. He gazed at Armin, who stared out into the open with an eerily emotionless gaze. He recalled how firm and collected Armin had been when he made the decision to join the Scout Regiment.

* * *

" _Greetings. My name is Erwin Smith, commander of the Scout Regiment. Today, you are graduating from cadets to fully fledged warriors, and as such, will have to choose a branch of the military to join. Simply put, I'm here to persuade you to join the Scout Regiment."_

 _Most of the cadets shifted nervously. Jean looked around him only to see scared or indifferent expressions. He guessed that most of them had already ruled out the Scouts. He glanced at Armin and saw that his expression was blank, with almost no emotion. He gulped nervously and continued listening to Erwin._

" _During the recent attack on Trost, you learnt for yourself just how terrifying the Titans can be, as well as how puny you seem in comparison. The facts don't lie – mankind is now living in Wall Sina. We don't have another place to go if this wall collapses. However, that is why it is important for us to make every advancement possible."_

 _There was a nervous murmur in the crowd as Erwin continued, "Our objective at the moment is to retake Wall Rose. I believe that if we do this, we can figure out a plan to retake Wall Maria. I won't sugarcoat this for you – in the past four years, sixty percent of the Scout Regiment has died in battle. It's an insane figure, I'm aware. Any trainee who joins us now will participate in the expedition beyond the wall next month, and we expect that around 30% will not return. In around 4 years, most will be dead."_

 _Jean's eyes widened in shock. He was not the only one; all around him, people were frantically whispering amongst themselves, wondering why the hell they would even consider joining the Scouts. 'What is he thinking? If he wants to get people to join, he needs to encourage them, not tell them that they're likely to die!" He glanced at his friends. Krista looked like she was ready to cry, Sasha looked like she was about to vomit, and Connie just stared at Erwin with a blank expression. Marco looked like wanted to leave, as his legs were trembling, but he stood his ground. Reiner, Bertolt and Annie just looked straight ahead, an eerie sort of determination etched on their faces while Armin gazed calmy at Erwin, as if analyzing and breaking down every word he was saying. Jean shook his head and turned back to the Commander._

" _However, those who survive will become superior soldiers with a high survival rate. Now you know the facts. Decide – are you willing to offer up your hears for mankind?"_

 _There was a huge shuffling of feet as most of the cadets turned around and walked away. Jean looked around him in utter helplessness as the temptation to joint them increased with every passing second. He desperately tried to block out the memories of Trost as his entire body stiffened. 'If I stay, I have to face them again – don't make me hate myself more!" He looked at Armin and found that he stood absolutely still, without any sign of hesitation. He thought back to Trost, when Armin had told him of his resolve to rid the world of Titans. He gulped and thought, 'If he can do it…then…I-!'_

* * *

"Jean, is something wrong?"

Jean jolted out of his memories to find Armin staring at him, a puzzled look on his face. Jean shook his head and said, "Nothing. I was just…. thinking about some things." Armin nodded and said, "Those pre-expedition jitters, again?" Jean sighed. "Yeah – something like that."

"Talk to Reiner about it – he'll help you get over it. He's good with that kind of stuff. He helped Eren with his maneuver gear training before we even became soldiers." Jean winced at the name of their fallen comrade. _'Heh – if only Eren could see me now. All that time I spent laughing in his face about his desire to join the Scout Regiment, and where did I end up? He'd probably laugh his ass off.'_ Armin, however, seemed unfazed. Jean said tentatively, "Armin…..how are you dealing with….y'know, their dea-"

"Does it really matter?"

Armin turned to Jean and said, "They're long gone, Jean. There's no point in me regretting their deaths. You would do well to get over them, because the outcome isn't going to change either way." With that, he walked away, leaving Jean to contemplate the meaning of his words.

* * *

'Armin, can I ask you something?"

"Sure – what is it, Marco?"

Marco sighed as he continued to polish his blades. The pair were sitting outside the stables, getting their gear ready for the expedition. Armin had discovered that Marco had a knack for detecting anomalies in the maneuver gear, and so, he made it a point to always tune his gear with him so that it would always be in the best possible shape. On this particular day, however, Marco didn't look as enthusiastic as he usually did. He said in a hesitant voice, "Ever since that day….when Eren and Mikasa died, you became so detached and….distant. In fact, you remind me of Captain Levi. It's….sometimes really scary. I mean, I didn't know what Levi was like before…but seeing how you were before Trost and how you are now…it's startling."

Armin said nothing as he continued to inspect for scratches and grooves. Marco winced and looked down, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. A minute passed in silence, the tension in the air growing with each passing second. Finally, Armin spoke, in a low voice,

"Sometimes, in order to fight monsters, one must abandon their humanity. I chose to sacrifice what I felt for their deaths so that I could keep moving forward and focus on my goal – to kill every single Titan. I knew I wasn't physically up to the level as most of the people here, so I had to train my ass off to make sure I could get somewhat close to the level of someone like Reiner or Jean. I focused all of my efforts on that, and as such, didn't have time to mope about their deaths."

Marco remained silent as Armin recounted his struggles. The pair continued to inspect their gear, and Armin had just kept his blades inside their hold when Marco asked, "Do you think….we could have saved them? Were they destined to die?"

Armin said in a nonchalant tone, "Who knows?" Seeing Marco's somewhat lost expression, he elaborated, "I mean, the fact of the matter is they're dead now. And nobody can change that. In the heat of the moment, people are going to make decisions after evaluating risks and benefits on their own merits. All we can do is try and make choices that we can live with, and choose the path that we'll regret the least."

Marco nodded in understanding and said, "You're still as clever as ever – that much hasn't changed, at least." Armin gave a small smile and said, "I should hope so – it was kind of my thing back in the Academy." Marco chuckled. "Don't worry – it's still very much your thing." The pair continued to chat for a while before heading off to bed, the next day weighing heavy on both of their minds.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry about not updating for such a long time, but college is getting more and more hectic :/ I'll try to be as quick as possible while still giving you guys quality content :) Thanks so much for all the positive reviews on this story so far! :))**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non profit fanfiction. Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama and Kodansha. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Hey, Armin, pass me the water bottle."

"Jean, we don't have too much left, so please watch how much you drink."

"Armin, at this point, I don't give a fuck – I just want something to drink. So give me the damn bottle."

With a sigh, Armin gave Jean the bottle. He proceeded to nearly drain the bottle, only stopping when Armin said sharply, "Jean, that's enough!" Jean lifted the bottle from his lips and threw it at Armin, who caught it and put it in his pouch. In the distance, the pair could still hear Krista sobbing, crouched against a tree. Ymir stood above her, trying to comfort her. Jean himself was still in a state of shock, not having moved from the spot he sat since they decided to stop. Armin looked at all of his friends and sighed, continuing to set up the temporary camp.

"How did we let this happen?"

Armin turned to see a very distraught Reiner leaning against a nearby tree. "I thought they were fast enough to avoid it – they've always been good in training, so I just don't understand it. Was it an abnormal? Were we just not strong enough?" Bertolt placed his hand on Reiner's shoulder and said, "It's over now – there's nothing we can do about it." He too, wore an expression of sorrow. Annie stood next to him with a blank expression, her eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Connie…Sasha…."

When Reiner said their names, Annie winced like she had been physically hurt. She turned away from the group and walked away. Bertolt looked torn between comforting Reiner and going after her. Armin noticed this and grabbed his attention, motioning for him to go after Annie. Bertolt nodded and headed off in her direction. Armin glanced at Reiner, who had his face buried in his hands, before sitting down and contemplating what happened for himself.

The expedition had started well enough. Just like Armin had predicted, the Titans attacked at a very specific time frame. They were able to avoid most of the Titans thanks to the genius behind Erwin's scouting formation, but close to the Forest of Giant Trees, things took a turn for the worst. Sasha was riding near the east wing, front row, and she encountered a Titan. Like normal, she fired up the flare and waited for the other members to do the same. However, her red flare was the only one that went up. The only person to notice it was Connie, who rushed to her location, breaking the formation of the pattern completely. By the time Reiner, Jean, Armin and the rest caught up, Sasha's mangled body was hanging lifelessly from a tree. Or what was left of it, anyway. On the ground in front of it lay a Scout uniform and two blades. The Titan was nowhere to be seen. Jean was sure he wasn't the only one who prayed that he would never find out what exactly happened to Connie; he didn't think he could live with himself if he knew how exactly he died, knowing that he had the chance to save him, but he just wasn't quick enough. The group had stopped not long after that to regroup and get everything ready for the next leg of their journey, which would take them closer to Wall Rose, which had become a Titan infested land after the fall of Trost. As he sat, Armin remembered what he said back in Trost after Eren and Mikasa died.

" _I'm going to make Eren's dream a reality. I will slaughter all the Titans. I'm going to see the ocean. And I'm not going to let any of my comrades die."_

Yes, he was certainly doing all he could to be a more efficient Titan slayer, but what good was it all if he couldn't protect his friends? He bit his lip as he clenched his fist, wondering why he didn't rush after Connie immediately after he broke formation. The three of them together might have been able to take the Titan down, and then they wouldn't have…..

"Armin, can I talk to you for a second?"

Armin's thoughts were interrupted by Marco, his expression unusually grim. Armin nodded and the pair set off. Jean saw them leaving, but was too wrapped up in the deaths of Connie and Sasha to care much, so he just sat there, watching them. Armin looked around, but he could not see Reiner, Bertolt or Annie anywhere. The sobs of Krista had also died down, so Armin assumed that she either fell asleep or finally cried herself out. Armin shook his head. 'Mikasa was right – this world…its cruel. So, so cruel."

Marco suddenly stopped and turned around, the same grim expression from before still on his face. Armin raised his eyebrows questioningly and said, "Marco, what's going on? You don't look very happy." Marco said in a low voice, "I was just tending to my horse, and I saw Bertolt talking to Annie. She was having a hard time dealing with…..well…" Armin waved his hand dismissively and motioned for him to continue.

"I didn't mean to overhear them or anything, but it was really quiet, and there was nobody else around….so…"

"Get to the point, Marco – what did you hear?"

"Bertolt said something like – _' **Don't forget about our mission – these people shouldn't mean anything to you – they're all monsters, remember? They have to be wiped out for a better future.'**_ "

Armin narrowed his eyes as he contemplated Marco's words. ' _Monsters? Sure, the phrase would make sense if he's talking about the Titans, but….something's not right about the statement. 'These people shouldn't mean anything to you.'….what does it mean?'_

"Arlert – tell your friends to get ready. We're moving out."

Levi's voice pierced Armin's thoughts as he turned and saw the Captain behind him. He nodded and mentioned to Marco that they would discuss this later as they left to get ready for the next part of their journey.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! My moot court competition is finally over so as a gift to you guys, here's the next chapter xP Haha, jk, jk. But in all seriousness, thank you so much for all the positive reviews on this story! It's shaping up quite nicely, if you ask me ;)**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non profit fanfiction. Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama and Kodansha. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Captain, will they really be all right?"

Levi did not give any sign that he heard Petra speak to him as they rode on through the forest. Instead, his eyes darted around him near constantly, watching for any sign of Titan movement. Petra sighed and said, "Captain?"

"Lighten up, Petra. Those brats will be fine."

"Oluo, they just watched two of their comrades die. It's only their third expedition. I wouldn't blame them if they're terrified now."

Oluo rolled his eyes at his teammate's concern for the 104th. "They knew what they signed up for when they put on this green cloak. If they can't cope with one of their comrades dying then they shouldn't be part of the Scout Regiment." Petra looked at him in disbelief. "How in the world can you be so cruel?! Don't you have any idea – "

A burst of realization hit her and she smiled slyly. "You're trying to imitate Captain Levi again, aren't you?"

"No, of course not!"

"Oluo, just do us all a favor and shut up."

"Fuck off, Gunther! This doesn't concern you."

"Aww, looks like Oluo is going to cry. Should I get a tissue?"

"Erd, I swear I'm going to take your eye out someday, if a Titan doesn't get to it first."

"All of you - shut the fuck up."

Levi's stern voice cut through the jovial ones of his team. They all looked at him and he continued, "You sound like a bunch of teenagers picking on the lonely kid at school. Get a grip and pay attention to your surroundings. A Titan could attack at any moment." Oluo grinned and said, "Yeah, see? Leave me alone, damn it!" Petra whispered, "You're the lonely kid at school. I don't think that's a compliment." Oluo took a moment for this to run through his head, realizing what Levi meant. He hung his head while Petra giggled, before taking a deep breath and refocusing on the ride. Levi gazed around him warily. _'It's odd – we haven't seen a single Titan since we entered these woods. Are they deliberately staying away? But why would they? It's never stopped them before.'_ He kept one hand on his blade as he scanned the trees, the leaves swaying gently in the wind.

Suddenly he heard a crash and a roar. Looking above him, he saw a Titan falling straight on top of them. He yelled, "EVERYONE, TO YOUR RIGHT!" He didn't turn around and look as he steered his horse in the aforementioned direction, hearing a large crashing sound a second later. He glanced behind him to see Petra and Erd safe behind him. Stopping, he waited with bated breath as the smoke clouded his vision. However, he heard the neighing of horses, and he breathed a sigh of relief as Oluo and Gunther appeared from the smoke clouds, both riding furiously. Levi started his horse and the party sped away from the Titan.

 _'_ _Close call….damn it, when will we get out of this blasted forest?'_ , Levi thought as they continued riding.

* * *

The sound of the hooves against the ground was rhythmic and monotonous, not changing no matter how long they rode on. Jean stared straight ahead, his eyes occasionally darting to the sides to scout for incoming Titans. Next to him, Armin rode, staring determinedly in front of them. Occasionally, a Titan would stare at them, but it wouldn't move – its eyes would simply follow the pair before they rode off into the distance. However, a couple of them did attack, but Armin dispatched them with ease. Jean marveled how he had changed from a shy, reserved boy to a cold-hearted Titan killing machine. His kills were always clean, executed with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. Jean remembered how when they had just enlisted into the military, he had to help him with the grip of the blade. Now, Armin's skill was such that Jean had heard whispers comparing him to Mikasa. Of course, Jean hadn't mentioned this to Armin, because he wasn't sure how the boy would take it, but there was no doubt that if he kept at it, he would be able to match Levi himself in terms of number of kills.

"Jean, what's going on?"

Jean was shaken out of his reverie by Armin, who rode alongside him, looking a tad bit concerned. Jean shook his head and said, "Nothing – I'm fine. Just thinking of something is all." Armin nodded and continued staring ahead. He glanced to his right, where the giant trees towered over him, and narrowed his eyes. _'If my assumption is correct, Erwin and Levi are cutting through the forest in order to hash out a quicker path for all of us to use in the future. This means that when they emerge, the entire formation will have to be changed because they have to get back to their original positions. In that time frame, if Titans attack, we might not be able to stop them.'_

He shook his head. _'I should have told Erwin about this.'_ Suddenly he heard the sound of a gun. Looking up, he saw a green flare moving to his left. Glancing at its source, he saw Erwin holding the gun up above him and moving in the direction of the flare. Behind him were Levi's squad and the rest of Erwin's elite squad.

Armin cracked a small smile as he realized that Erwin had a plan all along. He steered his horse in the direction of the flare and Jean followed suit. Slowly, all the Scouts moved away from the Forest and when all of them had come clear of the trees, Erwin fired a yellow signal, which meant everyone had to get back to their original posts. Armin nodded at Jean before drifting off to his post. Jean nodded back as he urged his horse forward.

Turning back to face the front, however, brought him face to face with a Titan.

Time seemed to slow for Jean as he watched the Titan look at him. It stood on all fours and it had a twisted smile across its face. It reached out and Jean knew that this was it. There was no time for him to draw his blades and activate his maneuver gear, and even if he did, there was nothing to latch on to except the Titan's own body, and sooner or later, he would be caught. He shut his eyes, expecting his end to be quick.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Fifth chapter is here :) Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non profit fanfiction. Shingeki no Kyojin is owned by Hajime Isayama and Kodansha. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"JEAN! DON'T YOU DIE JUST YET!"

Jean opened his eyes as something rode past him in a blur. He caught a flash of yellow hair and his eyes widened. "A-Armin?" The rider drew his blades and jumped off the horse, latching onto the Titan. It tried to grab the wire, but he withdrew the hook after skirting around to its back. Hooking onto the base of the nape, he zoomed towards it, swords in hand. Jean watched in shock and awe as he sliced the Titan's nape and proceeded to jump from the body of the beast and land in front of him. Seeing the identity of the person who saved him, he backed away in surprise.

"Reiner! What are you doing here? Why did you –"

"You're not going to die here, Jean. I won't allow it. None of my comrades will die, **not before I've made up for all of my sins!** "

There was a moment of silence as Jean processed what Reiner said. He said, "Reiner, what on earth are you talking about? What sins?" Reiner opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes widened and he abruptly turned around, mumbling incoherently. Jean strode toward him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Reiner – what's going on?" By this time, Armin had caught up with the pair. Getting down from his horse, he said, "We need to keep moving. If we stay here for too long, someone's going to know something's up. Or worse, they'll presume we're dead."

Reiner nodded enthusiastically and said, "Armin's right – we need to move, now."

"Bu-"

"Now, Jean." Armin's firm voice made Jean realize the implications of being presumed dead. He begrudgingly got onto his horse, with Reiner doing the same. The three of them rode forward, moving at a moderate pace. Jean kept looking at Reiner out of the corner of his eye, wondering what the hell he meant with those cryptic words. He remembered how petrified Reiner looked when he asked him about it, and how he turned away and babbled to himself.

' _Could it be that he feels that guilty about the deaths of Connie and Sasha that he thinks it was his fault?'_ At this, Jean felt a twinge of pity for his friend. He knew that it was nowhere near his fault, no more than it was his or Armin's. He was sure that on some level, all of them blamed themselves for their deaths. However, there was nothing they could do about it, and however bitter a pill to swallow, it must be swallowed, nonetheless. He made a mental note to talk to Reiner about it once they had reached the next rest stop. He glanced over at the soldier in question, and saw that he was looking straight ahead, an unwavering expression on his face. Sighing, he spurred his horse forward.

* * *

"Commander Erwin, why have we stopped?"

Erwin glanced up from his map and saw Armin standing in front of him. Levi said, "Arlert – we could actually use you here. Erwin, explain." The commander sighed and pointed at the map laid out in front of him. "Up till here, the Scouts have more or less laid down a path for safe travel. However, from here on out, it's essentially uncharted territory. We have to be careful so as to not run into any unnecessary losses. The scouting formation will hold, but operating on the assumption that more and more Titans will appear as we get closer to Wall Rose, we may need to make some modifications. Do you have any ideas?" Armin studied the map in front of him, thinking about various possibilities they could encounter on the way. All around the three of them, the Scouts were tending to their horses or to injuries sustained since the last stop. There were lookouts posted in the four cardinal directions to ensure that Titans didn't sneak up on them.

Armin pointed to the corners, and then to the center. Furrowing his eyebrow, he noted, "The members on the outer ring are most susceptible to attack. This, of course, means that our eyes are basically being picked off one by one." He turned to Levi and asked, "Is there a possibility of your team members being stationed at each corner of the formation?" Levi raised his eyebrows in response and said dryly, "And what good would that do? It's mostly open terrain out there, Arlert. I'm not going to have members of my squad engage in a battle where they start out at a massive disadvantage." Armin nodded, looking at the map thoughtfully.

"Armin, the main goal here is avoidance, not combat. We don't want to engage them head on. Or rather, we can't afford to." Erwin reminded the young man. He grit his teeth and tightened his fists in frustration. It was something that Erwin always hated – the fact that they had to take the defensive route, especially now more than ever with humanity on its last thread of life.

Armin nodded, not taking his eyes off the map. "How long until we reach Wall Rose, roughly?" Erwin replied, "If we go as per the plan, we should reach the wall by nightfall." Armin narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure that's safe? We won't have too much of visibility at night." Levi shrugged. "It's a tentative plan made in the best case scenario. In all probability we will turn back before we get that far. The positive is we haven't lost too much time here because this is a route we've already laid out, so time isn't the most pressing concern we should have right now." Erwin nodded and said,

"For now, let's just focus on getting to the Wall. We won't change the formation, but advise all members on the front line to be extra cautious. We can't afford to lose many men, not when humanity is on the brink of extinction."

* * *

"Huh?! We're not changing the formation?!"

Jean looked at Armin like he had just suggested that they all ride on without their maneuver gear. The other members of the 104th paled at the news, realizing that they would have to go back to their old posts in unfamiliar territory. Krista said in a small voice, "But isn't that too dangerous? We don't know the terrain – if Titans appear en masse, there's virtually nothing we can do about it." Annie replied in a low voice, "We just have to be quick to react. Honestly, isn't this precisely what we trained for?" Krista pursed her lips, sweat visibly dripping from her forehead. Armin sighed and said, "Look, it's Erwin's decision, all right? Honestly speaking, I think that it's a good move. Think of the panic that may ensue if people don't follow the new formation. We could all end up dead."

"I think Armin's right – Erwin's not the kind of guy to risk all our lives for something liken this." Marco nodded at Armin and gave a small smile. Jean looked between the two and shook his head. "You two are so daft." Ymir raised her eyebrow and looked Jean up and down before saying,

"Look who's talking about being daft. You were all ready for a comfortable life inside Sina, sipping on your fancy ass wine and serving the gluttonous king. If it wasn't for Jäger, you wouldn't even be here right now."

There was a stunned silence among the group as all of them stared at Jean and Ymir. Jean looked away pointedly and said, "Yeah. If it wasn't for that bastard I wouldn't be in this hellhole, watching my friends drop like flies." He walked away, the only sound being the crunch of his boots against the grass. Armin was the first to break the silence, saying, "Come on guys, we should go get ready. Erwin will want to leave soon." He turned around and started to walk back to his horse.

"Everyone, stop. I have a confession to make."

Armin turned around to see Reiner, looking down at the ground. He slowly brought his face up and Armin was surprised to see traces of tears in his eyes. He said in a broken voice,

"It was me. It was me all along. I'm sorry… **I'm sorry!** "


End file.
